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Road Rovers (film)
''Road Rovers ''is a 2006 animated action-adventure fantasy comedy film directed by D.A. Nichols and Abbey Thickson and written by Brad Copeland and James Krieg, and a story by Tom Ruegger and Mark Seidenberg. It is based on the cartoon of the same name which aired on The WB during its Kids' WB block from 1996 to 1997. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Shawn Ashmore, Famke Janssen, Terry Crews, Hugh Jackman, Martin Short, and Harland Williams. The film was released on September 15, 2006, and met with mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with many praising the voice acting and story while being a box office success, grossing over $218 million worldwide against a $65 million budget. The film's success helped spawn a franchise consisting of 3 sequels, the first sequel titled ''Road Rovers 2: The Revenge of General Parvo'', was released on November 30, 2012, the second sequel titled [[Road Rovers 3: Cano-Sapiens Fight Again!|''Road Rovers 3: Cano-Sapiens Fight Again!]] on November 18, 2016, and a third sequel titled [[Road Rovers: The Deep Undercovers|''Road Rovers: The Deep Undercovers]], was released on September 21, 2018. This was the final film produced by Square 1 Animation. Plot Ten years in the past, Professor William F. Shepherd and Professor Hubert meet young Colleen at her owners' house in London, England to invite her to join the headquarters of Road Rovers. Five years later, Muzzle's owner, Dan, discovers that his dog has a condition, as Muzzle tries to cut off his dead fur. More coming soon! Voice Cast * Shawn Ashmore as Hunter, a Golden Retriever from the U.S. and the leader of the team. * Famke Janssen as Colleen, a Rough Collie from the UK, and the only female in the group. ** Teresa Gallagher voices a young Colleen. * Terry Crews as Blitz, a Doberman from Germany. * Hugh Jackman as Exilo Michalovitch Sanhusky "Exile", a Siberian Husky from Siberia. * Martin Short as Shag, an old English Sheepdog from Switzerland. * Harland Williams as Muzzle, a Rottweiler. ** Ross Simanteris voices a young Muzzle. * William Shatner as Professor William F. Shepherd "The Master" * Malcolm McDowell as Professor Hubert * Laurence Fishburne as General Parvo, the main antagonist in the film. * Sheena Easton as the Groomer, Parvo's assistant. * Steven Blum, Bob Joles, and Chris Phillips as Parvo's minions * Alex Kingston and Martin Clunes as Karen and Alan, Colleen's owners. * Jason Marsden as Dan, Muzzle's owner. Additional Voices * Jillian Bowen * A.J. Buckley * Doug Burch * Corey Burton * Catherine Cavadini * Erin Chambers * Django Craig * Vicki Davis * John DeMita * Courtnee Draper * Judi Durand * Chris Edgerly * Jeffrey Todd Fischer * Kim Mai Guest * Aldis Hodge * Barbara Iley * Daamen J. Krall * Jeremy Maxwell * Scott McAfee * Ryan O'Donohue * Bradley Pierce * Paige Pollack * David Randolph * Noreen Reardon * Deanna Russo * Joel Swetow * Andreana Weiner * Ruth Zalduondo Production Development In June 2003, NT Animation stated that some old cartoons are being considered for revivals via animated feature films, and that Road Rovers ''was one of them. In March 2004, it was announced that NT was developing an animated film based on ''Road Rovers. Later that month, Brad Copeland and James Krieg were hired to write the script for the film. However, following the critical and financial failure of NT Animation's The Caillou Movie, the project was put on hold. In April 2005, NicThic Productions resumed the project. By May 2005, production had already begun. D.A. Nichols and Abbey Thickson were announced as directors, and Tom Ruegger, Mark Seidenberg, and Lauren Shuler Donner were identified as producers. Casting In April 2005, along with the revival, it was announced that the original voice cast from the cartoon would be entirely replaced by better-known actors, due to the hopes of attracting a larger audience. The cast was revealed in May, consisting of Shawn Ashmore as Hunter, Famke Janssen as Colleen, Terry Crews as Blitz, Hugh Jackman as Exile, Martin Short as Shag, and Harland Williams as Muzzle, with Laurence Fishburne voicing General Parvo, the film's antagonist. However, the original voice cast later provided additional voices for the film. NicThic wanted to replace Sheena Easton in the role of the Groomer with a more well-known actress such as Halle Berry, but the role was ultimately not recast. Animation Most of the animation was done by Square 1 Animation, which was their final film project following their closure in May 2006. Music The film's score was composed by John Powell, who recorded his score at Warner Bros.'s Eastwood Scoring Stage. The soundtrack was released on September 5, 2006 by Varese Sarabande. Marketing Wendy's promoted the film with a set of 6 kids' meal toys featuring the characters from the film. Trailers The film's teaser trailer was released on August 1, 2005 and was shown before Sky High, Valiant, Kenny's Drive, Corpse Bride, Flightplan, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and In Her Shoes. The first theatrical trailer was released on January 6, 2006 and was shown before Hoodwinked!, Nanny McPhee, Doogal, Curious George, The Pink Panther, Thomas and Friends, and Eight Below. The second theatrical trailer was released on March 31, 2006, and was shown before Ice Age: The Meltdown, The Wild, Midgets, RV, Just My Luck, Over the Hedge, X-Men: The Last Stand, Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, Cars, Nacho Libre, Click, Puppet Pals, BJ and Wally, Monster House, Bad Kitty, ''and ''Barnyard. TV spots began to air between August and September of 2006. Release The film was originally scheduled for an April 15, 2005 release, but following the closure of NT Animation, the film's release date was moved to September 15, 2006, to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the cartoon. Home media Road Rovers ''was released on DVD, VHS, Blu-ray, and UMD Video on January 7, 2007 by Warner Home Video. It was also the last NicThic film to be released on VHS. It was re-released in the Ultra HD Blu-ray format on June 20, 2017. Reception Box office ''Road Rovers ''grossed $17.5 million on its opening weekend. It went on to earn $85.3 million in the United States and Canada and $132.9 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $218.2 million, against a $65 million production budget. Critical response ''Road Rovers ''received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and fans. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 68% based on 110 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads,"''Road Rovers is a visual treat that brings the heart of the childhood cartoon back to life." On Metacritic, it recieved a score of 58 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. Category:Films